This movie was extremely well directed, and the acting in this movie was also very well done too. This is a extremely interesting DRAMA/SUSPENSE type of movie, there is a lot of curves and "what the hell just happeneds", in this movie, which means you have to pay attention to the plot as it unfolds before your eyes!

At this point, the movies been out for ages. I rented it on a whim at Blockbuster, due to the solid cast of names on the DVD box. I wasn't disappointed. Not a family friendly movie by any stretch...the movies open involves Philip Seymour Hoffman gettin his hump on with Marisa Tomei...and she is topless for a good portion of the movie for some reason, which I must say I did not find disappointing :) The movie was a tale of a plot gone awry, lots of twists and turns, and I guess you'd call it time-gapping...keeps going back and forth to pick up where it left off. A bit of a depressing film, as it shows that the capability for humans to plumb the lowest of the lows morality wise is pretty unlimited. Definitely worth renting.

The acting performances were simply outstanding. If you want to see good writing, and actors that are at the top of their game bringing this story to life then by all means, see it this movie. That being said, as an overall movie experience, the story, directing, and overall production left me unable to take an emotional interest in any of the characters. The only one who might have been regarded as sympathetic, the father played by Finney, was not developed enough to understand the totality of his actions and the influence he had on the other characters. Otherwise the desparation and the complete lack of mirth felt too heavy, too humorless (and therefore unreal, since even the most desparate situations are often the source of humor) to have me feel it worthwhile to make an investment in the outcome of this story.

This was just a fabulous movie. It stayed with us for days afterward. The acting was superb, the editing was perfect and the direction for Sidney Lumet was great. The story line, which I won't give away, is original and upsetting. The characters, and their motivations, become more complex as the movie goes on. It's a must see.